Tom Brady addressed this weekend's conflicting reports about his retirement during the 'Let's Go!' podcast on Monday; Pro Football Talk's Mike Florio: "I doubt he would play another season out of spite, but I wouldn't put anything past him... He's definitely upset"
Tuesday 1 February 2022 14:58, UK
Seven-time Super Bowl winner Tom Brady has confirmed he is still evaluating his NFL future and isn’t ready to make a decision about retirement.
The 44-year-old's playing career appeared to be over after widespread reports over the weekend said he was calling time on a remarkable 22-year career, with Brady's company TB12 Sport and the official NFL Twitter account among those posting to confirm his 'retirement'.
His agent Don Yee then refused to confirm or deny any potential retirement, with Tampa Bay Buccaneers Bruce Arians also saying a final decision hadn't been made, while Brady addressed the reports when co-hosting the "Let's Go!" podcast on Monday.
"I'm still going through the process that I said I was going to do," Brady told the Let's Go! podcast. "Sometimes it takes time to really evaluate how you feel and what you want to do.
"I think when the time is right, I'll be ready to make a decision one way or another."
When asked how he felt about seeing reports of his retirement across the front pages and the internet over the weekend, Brady added: "It's always a good line that I'm responsible for what I say and do and not responsible for what others say or do.
"I think one thing I've learned about sports is you control what you can control and what you can't, you leave to others.
"We're in such an era of information and people want to be in front of the news often, and I totally understand that. I understand that's the environment we're in, but I think for me, literally, it's day to day with me.
"I'm just trying to do the best I can every day and evaluate things as they come and try to make a great decision for me and my family."
Brady, widely considered the greatest quarterback in NFL history, saw his season ended when the Buccaneers lost in the divisional round to the Los Angeles Rams. The Rams went on to earn the NFC's berth in Super Bowl LVI.
"As I've always said, I've been blessed to play as long as I have and as things have gone on in the later parts of career, there's been a lot of interest in when I'm going to stop playing," Brady said.
"I understand that, it's not that I don't recognise that. When I know I'll know and when I don't know, I'm not going to race to some conclusion about that. I'm going to take it day by day.
"I'll take it by the moments and figure out when I feel really confident to allow people to know. I understand my decision affects a lot of people's lives, so when that decision comes, it will come."
Pro Football Talk's Mike Florio...
"The cat got out of the bag prematurely, this is where this is all heading, if Tom Brady does indeed intend to retire, but wanted to do so on his own terms, at his own time.
"I think we were all conditioned to believe that the announcement was coming, but instead the reporting was to the exact opposite - that he hasn't told the Buccaneers anything.
"I think this is just a case of Brady wanted to do it when he wanted to do it, and now he has to decide what he does next, given somebody made it known before he wanted it to be made known.
"There's a race to be the first to hammer out the characters and press the tweet button. Usually what happens is that when one does, three, four or five others do the same thing 'confirming'.
"If Brady doesn't want it out there yet and it's out there, hes' going to react; I doubt he would play another season out of spite, but I wouldn't put anything past him.
"He's definitely upset. I still don't think it changes anything but it creates an interesting anticipation throughout this week until we do hear from him."
Former NFL defensive back and pundit Jason Bell...
"I don't think he wanted that [a farewell tour], he's the ultimate competitor, he wants it all out on the field.
"He wants to play every game, he wants to win, he wants to destroy his opponent, he doesn't want it to be about him.
"I'm just shocked because I thought he would take a little more time. After the season as a player you just need to decompress a little bit, but if obviously he knows exactly what he wants to do, this is his choice."
The Ringer's Nora Princiotti...
"It really did surprise me. He has gone back and forth on how long he wants to play. The single sentence Brady had ever said that I believed the most about his retirement plans was, and I'm paraphrasing a little bit, but I believe a couple of years ago he said 'when I suck, I'll retire'.
"In 33 games for the Bucs, the guy has thrown for almost 10,000 yards, he's an MVP candidate, he's not there yet but perhaps he just couldn't wait it out that long.
"I thought he was going to come back so I was as surprised as anybody else."
Sky Sports NFL expert and special teams coach Jeff Reinebold...
"When you look at a player, especially a great player, the thing that usually goes first is not their legs or arms but their will to prepare, the will to do the work.
"With him, it has been a phenomenal amount of work. You look at the pictures of him when he was a 22-year-old kid at the combine and look at him now.
"Obviously he's done a Benjamin Button and gotten younger. But to work that hard and put your family second for that much time, I understand how he feels."
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